Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1887-06-24
FRIDAY MORNING. JUNE. "a. 1887
THE BATTLE FLAG FURRY.

We trust no Southern we'll WiSher OF
reunited country will feel discouraged at
the fire-and-tow proceeding among some
of our brethren in the Northern States.
Nor credit the semi-political manifestoes
of the occasion to the whole body of vet
Grams who fought for the Union, many
large sections of whom have been warm
and enthusiastic in the Interchange Of
kindly courtesies with ex.Confederate vet
Grams. If anybody else North or South
flies off the handle, let us in Virginia keep
cool. It may be, and we rather think il is,
that President Cleveland. while acting
/, with unquestionable patriotism, was not
only little in advance of the Northern
sentiment-as Charles Sumner was twenty
years ago when he proposed to strike out
the inscriptions on the flags as likely to
keep alive the memories of the civil war
but he was also wrong about the method.
The reunion OF the American people is a
matter of growth of individual sentiment
and not one that can be fastened
officially, and the government can no
more hasten it officially than could the
government during reconstruction times
create an attachment for the Union by the
passage of laws. Outside of all govern
ment interference the old soldiers of the
two armies are rapidly fraternizing public
ly and privately-but It is something they
want to manage themselves, and we think
from their present rapid progress they can
be trusted to manage it themselves
Hardly Grand Army Post from the North
can put its foot ina Richmond that the
Confederate Camp does not seize upon It's
members and shower on them every hes
pitality within their reach, and not Con-
federate Camp from the South can go
North without receiving such hearty
ovations as that from Richmond is re-
ceiving in Boston, this week. from the
Grand Army Posts. 1t only shows-bul
before we go on to say what it shows, let
us give our readers an insight into what
was done and how it came about. In the
garnet of the War Department building.
packed in some boxes are regimental
Union and Confederate flags captured by
the respective opponents during the civil
Wharf.-The former having come into The
possession of the government after the con-
fict ended. Like the memories of the
war itself, these flags had accumulated a
great deal of dust. Neither the Southern
States nor anybody in those States
ever expected or asked for their return.
The Adjutant General of the United
States Army, however, who seems to be
sort of genuine American in the
matter OF looking more to the present and
future than to the past, found them. He
addressed letter to Secretary of War
Is aicott, suggesting that they be returned
to the States where the regiments belong
ed-a suggestion finding reasonable
backing in the fact that while the govern
ments of civilized nations preserve the
trophies taken from foreign enemies they
do not so treat those taken in internecina
strife. The Secretary of War endorsed
the letter with his approval and forwarded
it to President Cleveland who approved it.
Under this approval the Adjutant General
issued circular to the Governors of the
States, of which the following is a sample:
WAR DEPARTMENT,
ADJUTANT- GENERALS OFFICE,
WASHINGTON, JUNE z, 1887.